1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to shaping a spherical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling, and more particularly, to shaping the spherical body by constricting a continuously fed cylindrical body consisting of a dough crust and a filling, without exposing or spilling the filling.
2. Prior Art
Japanese Utility Model Early-Publication No. 85178/85 discloses a cutter comprising a plurality of squeezing pieces in a guide and means to slide the squeezing pieces whereby bar foodstuffs are cut. This utility model provides a cutter wherein the bar-shaped foodstuffs, consisting of a single component, are cut by the squeezing pieces. Each of the squeezing pieces is thin and has at its inner end a sharp edge to smoothly cut the foodstuffs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,201 discloses an extrusion apparatus wherein an iris valve closes and opens its polygonal aperture to cut an extruded article consisting of a filling and a coating material. The iris valve is composed of a plurality of circumferentially disposed leaf members, which open and close the aperture by force applied in radial directions. The leaf members overlap each other to make the aperture, so that the thickness of each leaf member is necessarily limited, and the aperture cannot be completely closed. Further, as the aperture is necessarily defined by the sharp edges formed at the inner ends of the thin leaf members, the article is liable to be penetrated by the leaf members as it is cut by a sharp blade, whereby the filling is readily exposed. Also, the article tends to clog between the leaf members.
As discussed below with respect to FIGS, 20-22, the prior art shows another apparatus and method for shaping a spherical body consisting of dough crust and a filling. In this apparatus, a cylindrical body is continuously fed to and through an opening of a shaping assembly comprising at least three slidable members. The members are assembled in a sliding relationship with reference to one another and moved inwardly and outwardly to close and open the opening, whereby the spherical body is shaped. As shown in FIG. 20, a member (101) of 074 has a tapered portion (102) tapering off to a point (110). Due to this structure, the continuously fed cylindrical body can be cut without exposing the filling, with the dough crust being brought to the area where the cylindrical body is cut. However, in the case where the dough is highly elastic, the dough at the area where it is cut tends to spring back due to its elasticity, resulting in exposure of the filling as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22.
Therefore, when a spherical body consisting of the crust and the filling is prepared by cutting a continuously fed material, an apparatus has been required in which an opening closes completely, no filling or crust is liable to adhere to the cutter or between members constituting the cutter, and the filling is fully encrusted with a crust, even when the dough crust is highly elastic.